Lightning in a Bottle
by roguetimechild
Summary: After the conclusion of the war, Zuko puts Azula's punishment to vote. An unexpected result could test Zuko's sense of duty, as well as his growing friendship with Katara.
1. Adjusting to the Aftermath

**It might not be a good idea for me to start another multi-chapter fic, yet here I am. I don't actually know if this will be any good, but if I did know, I probably wouldn't tell you. There's a lot of things I don't know if I pulled off right, so this might be somewhat experimental.**

**Some of my favorite parts of the A:TLA fandom are Zutara, Toph, and Azula, so this may be a jolly-good time with me involving those three aspect. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Oh, and we're ignoring the comic continuations and The Legend of Korra for the purposes of this tale. **

**No rights to _Avatar: The Last Airbender_.**

* * *

There are lots of magnificent things about Toph, Zuko thinks. None of them have anything to do with politics.

"Why don't we just make it illegal to burn people's face off?" Toph questions from her position on the floor. She just lies on the floor when it suits her. She claims it helps her think better.

"It _is _illegal to burn someone's face off," Zuko informs her, clasping his hands together.

The entire group, besides Suki, who busied herself with warrior things whenever the concept of political participation came up, crowded into his office of sorts. A table is scattered with papers for all sorts of boring things. Toph, Katara, and Sokka don't have any royal blood or esteemed position in the Fire Nation, but by association, they were pulled into the sometimes dangerous, but mostly dreary world of it.

"That settles it, then," Sokka comes to Toph's aid. He sits on the floor near her head. "Azula should be thrown in jail. She's burned plenty of people to crisps."

"True," Zuko agrees, "but with her mental stability being called into question, a swift sentencing might not be easy to attain."

"How does that make sense?" Katara frowns. She and Aang sit atop the table Zuko currently rests his elbows upon. "Just because she's psycho means she shouldn't face consequences?"

"Have you seen her since you defeated her?" Zuko directs at her. "She's not like she was."

"She's _more _dangerous," Katara decides. "She's a loose cannon."

"This isn't as simple as punishing a wrongdoer," Zuko tells her. "Azula, back when she was still Azula, did right in the eyes of my father, who had many supporters. Some might think she's innocent of all charges."

"Innocent?!" Sokka exclaims, his voice taking on a familiar squeak. "We know how many times she's tried to kill us."

"For what she thought would be my father's and this kingdom's gain," Zuko challenges.

"Why are you defending her, Zuko?" Katara asks. "You of all people know what she was capable of."

Zuko almost thinks he feels his abdomen seer with pain at the memory.

"Yeah, why defend her?" Toph asks, lazily flicking her wrist into the air. "And it's not just trying to kill you. Think of all the other people she's burned to crisps. Do you know what it's like to have your face burned off?"

Zuko gives her an unrealized pointed stare. The moment of silence following the statement has much the same effect meeting his gaze would have.

"Oh . . ." Toph recalls. She rises to a sitting position to defend herself. "Well, you guys can actually _see _his face when you look at him! You get a reminder!"

"You're quiet, Aang," Zuko points out, turning to his young friend. "What's your opinion on this?"

Four gazes, one of them less effective than the others, turn toward him. Aang creases his brow thoughtfully.

"As Avatar and firelord, and whatever you guys are," he adds hastily with a look to his less royal friends, "we should try and do what's best for the citizens of the fire nation."

"Well, what's best for the fire nation?" Sokka begs the question.

"Well," Katara says, "why don't we ask them?"

* * *

There's not all that much democracy in the fire nation. Could a democracy exist within a monarchy? One that was corrupt mere days ago, no less?

The group didn't have that answer, but they intend to find out. They decide to hold a vote for what to do with Azula. It seems fair enough. Aang, Toph, and Sokka are sent out to spread the word about to vote set to occur the next day. Sure, it's fast, but it's not like the fire nation is uneducated about Azula, her condition, or her deeds. They can have the night to formulate the opinions.

"You're not coming?" Aang asks Katara on his way out of the office.

"Go on without me," Katara encourages. "I want to talk to Zuko about a few things."

Aang nods, understanding. He pauses a moment longer, and Katara thinks he might be about to kiss her, but he opts not to, instead sliding out of the room and closing the door behind, a fleeting smile across his features.

When two people kiss each other, does that mean they're together? That's a question Katara can trouble herself with later.

She turns back to the desk Zuko lounges at. Maybe "lounge" is the wrong word. It implies some sort of relaxation. Zuko looks tense and nervous, his shoulders high and his brow creased.

"You okay?" Katara asks him kindly, shuffling back to his desk.

Zuko raises a hand over his head and undoes his topknot, letting his hair fall around his face. He doesn't like the topknot thing. It reminds him of his father, his mistakes, his sister… Then again, it is a sign of honor.

"Of course I'm fine," he says, and while he looks haggard, he means it genuinely. "I'm in no position to be bitter about life considering how close I came to losing mine. Thank you again, by the way."

Katara smiles, flushing a bit. She lifts her leg and repositions herself back onto the edge of his desk.

"So, Azula," Katara begins.

"Yeah," he sighs. "Azula."

"What's your sentence?" she asks.

Zuko leans back heavily in his chair. "You know I'm waiting for the vote of the people."

"I know," she nods. "I meant, what's _your _sentence?"

Zuko eyes her warily. She meets his gaze levelly, patiently waiting for his response. He doesn't provide.

"Zuko, please," she prods gently. "You can tell me."

Zuko purses her lips. He's hesitant. But he believes her.

"She's my sister," he tells her quietly. "A grade-A psycho, but also my sister."

"Does that affect your decision?" she coaxes.

"If it were Sokka, wouldn't it affect yours? No matter what he'd done?"

He's got her there.

"So you want her acquitted?" Katara gathers. "Freed?"

"No," Zuko shakes his head. "I want her healthy." He reconsiders that for a second. "Well, so long as she doesn't revert to her aggressive tendencies."

"Because you know a thing or two about aggressive tendencies?" she smirks.

Zuko chortles at this.

"Can I be honest with you?" Katara hesitates.

"Yeah, always," he shrugs it off as if this should be obvious to her.

She leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Azula's aggression didn't only spring from Ozai. If she were to walk free or have a ridiculously short sentence, what makes you think she won't be mad at you? At her situation? At _me_?"'

"You think she'd try to take vengeance on_ you_?" Zuko raises an eyebrow at the notion. He hadn't thought of that. He doesn't like the concept one bit.

"I don't know what she's capable of," she admits. "She's volatile. A coiled spring. Chaos personified."

"And my sister," he adds.

"You weren't this fond of her a week ago."

"A week ago, she was more intent on killing me," he points out.

"What's her intent now?"

"That's the thing about thirsting for power and approval, I suppose," Zuko contemplates, tilting his head against the headrest of his chair. "Once you get it, where do you strive?"

"Maybe you could ask Mai," Katara suggests.

He lifts his head, confused. "Mai?"

"Yeah, sure," she nods. "She traveled with Azula for a while. She should know her really well. She probably has valuable input about what to do with her."

"You're right," Zuko nods. He doesn't know why consulting Mai didn't come to him sooner. "Thanks, Katara."

"Sure," she shrugs it off.

"Out of curiosity," Zuko begins, leaning forward onto his elbows, "what would be _your _sentence?"

"She did try to kill me, if you recall," she reminds him.

"Death sentence, then?"

"What? No! I didn't say that."

* * *

"Okay, listen up, people!" Toph shouts. With a swift upward motion of her palms, the earth below her tears and springs up, creating a convenient, rock podium for her to stand above the crowds on. Sokka squeals as the ground beneath him shifts, and he flails for a moment, gripping Toph by the arm.

"I said _listen!" _she bellows to the stragglers below when some of them continue walking. "You all know Azula, right?"

"If not, I have a short summary," Sokka offers once he composes himself, still clutching Toph's shoulder for support. It wouldn't have killed her to make this podium thing a bit bigger. "One, she's nuts. Two, she has tried to kill your dashing ruler and the also-dashing Avatar on multiple occasions. Three, she has no friends because she's scary and likes to light people on fire or shoot them with lightning. Sometimes both."

The gathering crowd below murmurs their recognition of Azula. Words like "crazy" and "corrupt" and "war crime" float through the growing audience. The girl's notorious, it would seem.

"Well, tomorrow at sundown, your dashing monarch has scheduled a vote in town square to help decide the punishment Azula could face. So . . . yeah," Sokka trails off charismatically. "Spread the word, I guess."

The crowd erupts into chatter.

* * *

**Yeah, I'm not entirely confident in this. Feel free to leave you opinion.**


	2. The Girl She Once Called Friend

Zuko valued his friends' input when it came to Azula, but none of their opinions did he value more than his Uncle's. He planned to bring the subject of Azula up over tea that afternoon. Turns out, he didn't have to.

"I heard that a vote is to be held to decide Azula's punishment," the aging man says, taking a seat beside his nephew. They currently inhabit one of the palace sitting rooms. Iroh visits Zuko often, more than Zuko found entirely necessary. But he isn't complaining.

"Where did you hear that?" Zuko asks, blowing on his hot tea. It was only after he suffered through the palace servant's many tea-making blunders that he truly appreciated his Uncle's skill with the drink.

"The Avatar has been flying around on that glider of his alerting the townspeople," he explains. "And young Miss Toph has been upheaving the rocks all through the city to make the announcement."

Zuko sighs at that. He hopes Toph doesn't destroy any precious monuments this time.

"It's true," Zuko confirms. "I plan to consult Mai about it later, but I thought I'd come to you first."

Iroh sips his tea. "What is there to ask? You're putting it to vote, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but I could potentially disagree with the decision the people come to."

"That's the voting system for you," Iroh shrugs.

Zuko purses his lips. The thought of the people sentencing his sister to be thrown into a volcano or something occurs to him. He doesn't like the thought. Although Azula could probably handle a volcano.

If she were stable, that is.

"So I have to go along with whatever the vote decides?" Zuko frowns.

"I'm not saying that," Iroh says, "but if you don't, I doubt the general public would take it very well, especially after all these years of propaganda and silencing."

"Maybe I should retract the voting," Zuko considers.

"The people already know about the voting," Iroh shakes his head. "If you retract it now, you will likely make them feel quieted and oppressed."

Zuko leans against the couch, groaning. Perhaps he should've thought this through.

Iroh, taking note of his nephews distress, adds, "Do not underestimate the people of the Fire Nation, Zuko. Perhaps they will come to a wise decision."

"And if they don't?"

"It is not wise to worry about things that may never happen, my nephew," he says. "It is a waste of time and thought. Most of the things we worry about never come to fruition at all."

Zuko runs a hand through his shaggy hair. How can he know if the people come to a wise decision if he doesn't even know what that decision is?

"You look distressed, Firelord Zuko," Iroh notes. "Why don't we go get some fire flakes?"

"Sounds great, Uncle," Zuko accepts. He could do with a nice, quiet meal right now.

"By the way," Iroh says, "does Azula know of these plans for her?"

* * *

Blue fire flies into the curtain, setting them ablaze. That's the fourth set of curtains this week.

"A vote?" Azula shrieks, her voice shrill, the last licks of fire dancing off her tongue. "A _vote_?"

Ty Lee cowers in an armchair, stuffed into one corner of the suite. The room Azula's holed in is relatively luxurious. A four-poster bed, a mahogany dresser, even a window, though it's thankfully too tiny for even her small frame to dive out of.

"The flying guy said something about it," Ty Lee explains, warily eying the ignited curtains to her left. She deftly rises to her feet and releases the curtain rod, letting the burning fabric fall to the ground. She stomps upon the flames quickly until the fire extinguishes.

"By 'flying guy', you mean the Avatar, of course," Azula notes. Her old friend's obliviousness is hardly worth noting anymore.

Ty Lee frowns, catching on to the patronization in her voice. "Maybe."

Azula shrieks again. It doesn't take much for her to resort to that anymore. "_Well, who else would it have been, Ty Lee?!_"

Ty Lee cowers again. She'd stood up to Azula before, and she's glad she had. And now, the deranged girl has no power over her. However, standing up to her now doesn't feel right.

Azula is not like she was. She was once cool, collected, effortlessly intimidating, able to bring an army to its knees with a look in her eye. Now, she's unhinged, overemotional, and irrational. Ty Lee visits because she feels sorry for the girl she once called a friend. No one else ever visits except her brother. Not even Mai.

"It makes sense that the Avatar would arrange such a thing," Azula begins pacing the room in thought. "Of course, he would have it out for me. Perhaps with the proper velocity in jumping out the window I can escape in time and claim my throne in my father's name."

Ty Lee frowns. Azula is not the strategist she once was. Maybe her mind is too jumbled for it now. However, Ty Lee is no strategist either, and she's sure Azula will be quick to point that out if she makes note of the flaws in this already-considered plan.

"When is this vote?" Azula barks once she's done murmuring about futile escape attempts.

"Tomorrow at sundown," Ty Lee reveals.

"We must avert it."

We? Does she think there's still a 'we'? _Is _there still a 'we'?

"Maybe the people will surprise you," Ty Lee suggests. "You did almost rule them, after all." And banished a good lot of them for a while, but she leaves out that detail.

Azula scoffs. "People have proven very surprising recently."

Ty Lee wonders if this is partially directed at her. She wants to feel bad, but she doesn't, which consequently makes her feel bad. Emotions are a tricky thing, as exemplified in Azula's current state.

"It's getting late," Ty Lee notes the angle of the sun, an easy task without curtains blocking her view.

"You're leaving?" Azula tries—and fails—to keep the disappointment from her voice.

Ty Lee hops off the armchair and moves toward the door. "I plan to come back soon, as usual. So long as you're not carted off to some prison or something."

Ty Lee leaves on this note, unaware of the foreboding effect the words have on the girl she once called a friend. She slides out of the thick, metal doorway, which is immediately pulled and bolted shut behind her.

Ty Lee turns to face the girl locking the door.

"Why don't you ever come in and talk to her, Mai?" Ty Lee asks curiously.

Mai yanks on the door a few times, making sure it's closed. "I have nothing to say to her."

Once sure the door is properly bolted, she starts down the hallway, Ty Lee falling into step beside her.

"If you have nothing to say to her, then why do you come at all?" she asks.

"I'm making sure you don't get your pretty hair fried off," Mai says with a nonchalant lilt in her voice. She does this intentionally. She doesn't want people knowing she genuinely cares about their well-being. "Come to think of it, why do you have anything to say to her at all?"

"I don't really have anything in mind when I get here," Ty Lee reveals.

"No surprise there," Mai groans.

The dig at her intelligence doesn't get past Ty Lee, but she dutifully ignores it.

"She's our friend, Mai," Ty Lee says.

"She nearly killed me."

"You nearly killed _her_."

"Because she wanted to kill _me_."

"That's a little complicated, isn't it?" Ty Lee frowns.

"Maybe for you."

Another jab at her intelligence. She ignores it again.

She smiles broadly. She's noticed that smiling usually puts her in a better mood, even if she's not happy to begin with.

"How about we go get some fire flakes?"

* * *

Katara and Aang shared their serving of firing flakes set in the center of the table. After Aang had flown threw the city alerting the citizens of the vote, he'd spotted Katara among the crowds. He'd landed directly in front of her with barely a thump on the ground and offered her dinner at the restaurant they just so happened to be standing near.

It's definitely one of the smoothest displays Katara has ever witnessed. Even Jet would feel a little outdone.

"Good flakes," Aang comments.

"Yeah," Katara agrees. "Tangy."

They eat in a silence for a while. Usually, the silence would be comfortable. That's how it's always been with the pair of them. Now, not so much.

"Does this qualify as our first date?" Aang blurts, hastily stuffing a fire flake into his mouth the second the question leaves it.

Katara stiffens. "A date?"

"Yeah," Aang confirms with his mouth full. "You know . . . since . . ."

"Is that Mai and Ty Lee?" Katara exclaims, grateful for the distraction. She knows this could be valuable to discuss, but she never wants to. If the two of them are to establish a relationship with each other, this talk is a significant initiation, but Katara never feels like having it.

Aang looks over his shoulder. Indeed, Mai and Ty Lee take seats at a table two down from them. Mai faces their direction, and as she sits she meets eyes with Katara. She remains stoic, content on ignoring the former rivals, but Ty lee notices her locked gaze. She turns in her chair and, recognizing the pair, waves her hand back and forth enthusiastically.

"Hi, guys!" she chirps across the empty table that separates them.

"Hey, Ty Lee," Katara responds kindly. As much as Ty Lee had put her friends in danger, without Azula, she had been proving rather harmless, friendly even.

As Ty Lee strikes up a conversation, Aang slumps in his seat, disappointed.

* * *

**I'm thinking Ty Lee might have a bigger part in this story than I originally planned. Special thanks to a couple of my friends who gave me helpful input about her, because I was kind of skeptical about her characterization. I don't know either of their usernames on here, so yeah. My friends. Them. Those people. Thanks, pair of friends.**


	3. What They Say About Old Habits

**I'm not entirely sure what a fire flake is supposed to look like. I'm picturing, like, french fries?**

**Well, that last chapter was review-less. And guys, it's not necessary that you review, per se, but it's not like it's discouraged. Eh? Eh? Whaddaya say**

* * *

"How could they not serve tea?!" Iroh laments dramatically.

"It's not that kind of place," Zuko reminds him irritably. "Fire flakes don't typically pair well with tea."

"Are you suggesting there is a substance in this world that does not go well with tea!" Iroh gasps.

Zuko huffs. "Are you going to drink your water or not?"

"How can they have water without tea? That's already half of the tea!"

Zuko pouts at the display, claiming another fire flake from the bowl they share. He sits across from his Uncle crammed into the back corner of the restaurant. When he took down his topknot and dressed in basic clothing, he could often get away with not being accosted in the streets with people asking for favors or commenting on something political. However, with a rather definitive scar on his face, it didn't hurt to keep to the shadows when he wanted a day out.

"Hey," Iroh pipes up, peering over Zuko's shoulder. "Isn't that your ladyfriend, Mai?"

"Probably," Zuko shrugs. "This is a popular restaurant."

"And is that your friend, Katara?"

Zuko raises a brow, and then peers over his own shoulder. Sure enough, on the other side of the restauraunt, Katara and Aang sit across from each other engaged in conversation with Ty Lee and Mai at a different table.

"Yeah, it is," Zuko confirms. "I wonder what they're doing here."

"Well, they're not drinking tea," Iroh pouts.

* * *

". . . and that's why there should be more circuses in the fire nation," Ty Lee concludes.

"That's . . . really interesting, Ty Lee," Katara offers.

Aang raises an eyebrow at her. She shrugs minutely.

"It's really not, though," Mai drones, twirling a fire flake in front of her face. She's never really cared for the food. She's mostly here for Ty Lee's benefit, not that she plans on admitting that.

Ty Lee pouts at her story's reception. It's clear that none of them believe she's aware of this reception, but she decides not to call out anyone on their attitude. She's moves on to another subject swiftly.

"So the whole thing with Azula is weird, right?"

Three dumbfounded stares meet her, along with a complementary silence.

Aang is the one who finally speaks, cautiously. ". . . Weird isn't the word I'd use."

"I'd say it's more like . . ." Mai trails off of whatever rude thing she was about to utter, but she faintly hears a familiar voice from behind her. She peeks over her shoulder and catches sight of her boyfriend sitting across from his Uncle. "Well, isn't this a party," she comments.

Katara looks to see what she's talking about and beams. Wonderful! Something else to repel the Aang-relationship conversation!

Zuko's already looking at her. She smiles, and he gives a weak wave. She knows better than to call him over here. No need to draw attention to the firelord when he's trying to have a nice meal with his Uncle.

His Uncle, however, notices Zuko's gaze. He immediately rises to his feet. He starts to shuffle towards the groups and Zuko, reluctantly, rises to shuffle after him, sweeping up their bowl.

"Hey, guys," he greets without waving, standing next to his girlfriend.

"Hey," Mai greets, not looking up at him. It's not out of malice or anything that she avoids eye contact. It's just . . . not totally necessary.

"Hi, Zuko," Ty Lee waves enthusiastically. Katara echoes her, a peg less cheerful, and Aang a moment later.

"Mind if we join you all?" Uncle beams.

"Oh, we're not all here together," Katara amends.

"Could you tell from the large table separating our groups?" Mai gestures in front of her.

"Well, that table fits Zuko and I nicely, then, don't you think?" Iroh comments. She promptly seats himself down behind the Avatar. Zuko shortly sits across from him. The six people, everyone sitting across from their respective companion, now form a line across the restaurant, ordered Mai, Ty Lee, Zuko, Iroh, Aang, and finally, Katara.

"Well, isn't this lovely," Mai drones.

"I hear ya," Aang grumbles, still disappointed.

Iroh ignores the complaints and starts up a conversation. "Fire flakes, eh? Good stuff. They don't make 'em like this back in the Earth Kingdom."

"Wow," Mai grumbles. "The Fire Nation making better fire flakes than the Earth Kingdom. Who saw that coming?"

"Come to think of it," Iroh ponders, "I don't think they ever even _served _fire flakes."

"Fire. Fire flakes. Fire nation. It's in the name," Mai presses. "Is that seriously that difficult to grasp?"

"Mai, back off," Katara tries to whisper to the girl, but they are sitting the farthest apart. Mai can't hear her.

"I don't see why they Earth Kingdom couldn't make fire flakes of their own?" Iroh contemplates.

"They probably have more important things to occupy their time," Mai drones on, "like the state of the world."

"Well, they certainly find the time to make tea," Iroh comments, "unlike, _some _places."

"Is food and drink all you care about?" Mai scowls.

"Would you mind showing my Uncle a bit of respect?" Zuko snaps, craning his neck in an attempt to face her.

The group goes silent. They all wait, anticipating Mai's response.

Mai considers rolling her eyes and brushing off his comment, but it's Zuko she's talking to. She doesn't want to lose him again. Come to think of it, she _had _been speaking harshly, but that's habit for her at this point.

"'Kay," she replies, hastily biting into another fire flake.

Iroh chews on his own fire flake, a Cheshire grin on his face. To Mai, he probably seems oblivious to her bad attitude, but Zuko knows him too well. He knows his Uncle noticed, and is merely choosing not to show any hurt feelings for everyone's benefit.

And unbeknownst to any of the group, Ty Lee notices it, too. She knows what it's like to act like that.

Katara decides now's a good time to break the tension. No talking of Azula, or Zuko's M.I.A. mom, or relationship statuses, or how anyone is feeling.

"So, isn't it weird how this place doesn't serve tea?" is what she comes up with.

Iroh beams. Zuko sighs heavily, although he smiles, as he prepares for the onslaught of tea-logic. He doesn't cut in, this time, though.

From where he's sitting, Zuko and Katara can look at each other fairly easily. They meet eyes, and Zuko offers her a small smile.

_Thanks, _he mouths.

Katara smiles weakly, flustered. She shrugs like it's not a big deal. And it's not. It's almost second nature. Mai's habit is harshness, and Katara's is kindness.

Still, it's nice to be thanked for it.

As Iroh starts up talking about various kinds of tea, she adds, _you're welcome_, mouthing it like he had.


End file.
